Strainer funnel



Filed Nov. 24, 1939 -11:UNITEDRSTAIES PATENT; OFFIQE I 1 ita ssnzal,f i j" i r 1 f Q 1 I f yapmiqstidn wbvembeazi, 1939,,SrilNdrllSflSi jrhsis wee ia nirrv d nel construction is particularlyrioricernedfv with an improved funnel'strainer/ The proposed strainer iscapable of use; in numerous types of funnels but is pre feriablyemployed with an improved form of funnel specially ,d5ig118d for use therewith andjforniing a: part or them vention. Both the's traine'r and funneliareso' constituted as to be readilyflcleaned'and pro vide for sanitary usage, i and will be found'e'spe c ially useful inthelpreparatfonflof baby. food and for various.hospitalpurposesd training funnels have been I y l N\ N years but so far as I amflaware alljof the prior constructions "are so constituted as to be dimcul'ttoflclean andunsanita'ry- [Q 1 ently, fthe"y have never been used j ,extensively i where sanitation is important; It is; therefore,

common practice at the present time toholda'ny common form over the mouth; material h is poured therethroug these conditions there i s" nne W le Even [under In the drawing I have illustrated my improved nection with the preparation of foofd andot r material s Q' in ura 1 1 can tary conditions since conventional types iof" strainers such asused in the ,kitchen ajre somade as" to be" difficult to clean. Thefinvention 'can'l form will provide the body with aninner p eral face Iainclining outwardlyfrom the upper side of the strainer member'and meeting, or stantiallyso, the outer peripheralwall J2 at 'th e end of the body of largest diameter. Thus; a

I tapering lip M will be'prov i'ded w isaw r sss essy;

funnel strainer and improved funnel particularly 7 adapted for use therewith. In such drawing:

Figure 1 is a view of the improved funnel with a portion of the wall brokenaway to show the novel strainer installed therein;

Figure 2 is a top plan view corresponding to Figure 1; and

Figure 3 strainer. r, n

The funnel strainer includes a'strainer membar It) preferably in the form of a flat disc; and

surrounding and embedding the edge thereof is an annular body ll of rubber or other suitable resilient material which will present a smooth surface easy to clean. Such body is of greater diameter at one end than the other and is pro is a cross-section of the .funnel of sheet material, ordinarily metal.

the body to more readily compress in a ra'di'al direction and insure a sealing fit betw n the" outer face'IZ of the body and the wall of the funnel underconditions where the inclination'oi the funnel wall does not conformto: theinclinafltion of the b'ody face. The inclinedinner' pe ripheral faCQIIB O'f the annular body will direct materialsdo notftherefore tend to accumulate on the annular body as ightLbe he ca e i it; I

were provided" with a: flat horizontal end. wall the end racing the topof a funnel;

The end of the annula' j body; of smaller d amfi eter is preferably provided witha radiallyje tending fiat'fape {5 adapted to engage a 'retai ijnggseiat which may be provided n ,a;fun'nel "for;

hereafter become niore'app'arent. V H

The annular body is moldedaround and vul canizedto the strainer member ID. Wirefabric is frequently used for strainers aisu perior product according to the present invention may be made by utilizing a perforate disc v When molding rubber or other plastic to wire gauze, matewallj l2 will perform a. sealing function, asfwill rial tends to flow'along the surfaces of the gauze I edge may be accomplished without any tendency vided with a beveled, or inclined, outer periphv eral face I 2 adapted to make sealing engagement with the inner wall of a funnel. As will be observed in Figure 3 the body is of greater thickness adjacent the end thereof of smallest outside I diameter, and the edge of the strainer member ID is embedded in this portion of the body. Preferably the body is made with a cross-section approximating an obtuse-angled triangle, and such of the rubber to flow, and; a clean neat edge may be secured where the interior of the annular body meets the disc.

In Figuresl and 2 I have shownan improved .form of funnel 20 formed of seamless sheet metal, and preferably chromium plated. The same may be produced by stamping. As conventional, the funnel will have an inclined inner I peripheral wall 2| with which the outer wall of the" annular body H surrounding the strainer Preferably, the funnel in 7 its lower area isabruptly decreased in diameter An inturned flange 23 is formed at the point of change in member will engage.

to provide a reduced portion 22.

materials in the marginal area of aff unnel'l inwjk. Wardly so as to insure passage thereof through or at least to, the strainermember I 0. Solid" While woven I diameter which serves as a seat for supporting the annular body of the strainer member. Preferably, flange 23 will extend substantially radially so as to make sealing engagement with the end face I5 of the annular body. An extension 24 of the reduced portion 22 of the funnel is preferably tapered in form so as to enable the insertion thereof in utensils having a large mouth. In many cases itwill be found that flange 23 will form a seat for supporting the funnel on the mouth rim of the utensil.

A detachable nipple member 25 may be pro vided where desired. Such device will telescope. ically engage portion 24 of the funnel, and will be' provided with a small end portion 26 which,

may be inserted in the mouth of baby. bottles or other utensils having a small mouth.

It will be evident that the funnel here described will be extremely sanitary and easy to clean, particularly since no crevices or sharp corners are present. v

. The removable strainer will occupy a position in the funnel as shown in Figure 1, and it will be evident from the broken away portion of such view that the annular body surrounding'the strainer member so engages the funnel as to prevent leakage of liquid around the body. As will be further apparent from Figure 2 taken in connection with Figure 8, the form of the annular body is such as to leave no crevices or abrupt surfaces on which material poured into the funnel will: collect. As previously mentioned, the inclined inner peripheral face I3 of the annular body will guide materials in the marginal area of the funnel inwardly towards the strainer member Ill.

While the strainer member with its surrounding annular sealing and supporting body is primarily intended for use with funnels, it will be evident that the shape of the body is such that it may be used elsewhere than in a funnel. For example, it may be plugged into the drain opening of a kitchen sink.

The strainer may be made of various diameters, and strainer discs having any desired size and spacing of perforations may be employed. To facilitate ready removal of the strainer from a funnel or elsewhere, a handle member 21 may be secured to the annular body I I at the upper side of the strainer member I 0 at or adjacent the end of the body of larger diameter. As shown, member 28 is molded integrally with the inclined inner peripheral face I3 of the body, and such arrangement is desirable as it does not interfere with ready cleaning of the strainer.

The construction herein shown and described is merely illustrative both as regards the strainer and the funnel. The invention is capable of some modification and equivalency and the scope of the invention is therefore to be determined according to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A funnel strainer comprising a resilient annular body having an inclined outer peripheral face and a flat end at the end of the body of smallerdiameter, a strainer member surrounded by and embedded in the annular body near the flat end face, and an inclined inner peripheral face on said body extending outwardly from adjacent one side of the strainer member and meeting the outer peripheral face at the end of the body of larger diameter opposite to the flat end face. 1

2. A funnel strainer comprising a strainer disc of perforated sheet material, and a surrounding annular body embedding and being molded to the edge of the disc, said annular body being of a cross-sectional form substantiating an obtuse-angled triangle and including an end face and an outer peripheral face inclined at an obtuse angle to said end face, the edge of the strainer disc being embedded in the radially thicker portion of the annular body adjacentsaid end face. -3. A straining funnel comprising a funnel member having an inclined inner peripheral walland having an inwardly projecting flange, and a detachable strainer in said funnel comprisingfa resilient annular body and a strainer disc having its edge surrounded by and embedded in said. resilient annular body, said annular body having an inclined outer peripheral face yieldingly and frictionally engaging the inner peripheral wall of the funnel with a sealing fit above said flange and having an end face seating against and making yielding sealing engagement with, said flange.

ERWIN E. RUSH. 

